TOP 10 BEST FEMALE DUTCH SPEEDSKATERS OF ALL TIME

10. Sijtje van der Lende

photo: Peters, Hans / Anefo

Van de Lende developed into a deceased allround skater star in the seventies.That gave her three Dutch championships.She was also a long time holder of Dutch records at 1500 and 3000 meters.In 1976, she just fell out of the World Cup all-round stage.

9. Marrit Leenstra

photo: Bloemie29 / wikicommons

Marrit Leenstra won in 2008 during the NK and WK juniors where she won a large number of gold medals.That same year she became a professional skater star.In 2011 Leenstra became the first Dutch champion allround, a title that she prolonged the following year.Together with Ter Mors and Würst, she won the pursuit of Olympic gold in 2014.

8. Tonny de Jong

Photo: UweFan / Wikicommons

The nickname Pocket Rocket has Tonny de Jong due to her short posture in combination with her speed.In 1997 she became European champion allround because she first managed to make use of the skate skate, a performance she repeated two years later.In 1997 she was chosen as Sportwoman of the year.

7. Ria Visser

photo: Suyk, Koen / Anefo

By 1980, Ria Visser was inexperienced in Dutch women’s skates.She became five times champion NK allround.Internationally, she had a lot of competition from the Eastern Bloc but was surprised at the Olympic Games of Lake Placid by winning a silver medal at 1500 meters.

6. Renate Groenewold

Photo: McSmit / Wikicommons

Renate Groenewold was both successful skater and cyclist.She became famous for her gold medal at the World Cup all round in 2004 in Hamar.For the first time in exactly thirty years, a Dutch driver was once again a world champion.In addition she became Dutch champion allround three times and won two silver Olympic medals at the 3000 meters.

5. Stien Kaiser

photo: Ron Kroon / Anefo

Stien Kaiser was a very successful skater star that was active from 1963 to 1972.Kaiser’s talent did not get up late and from her 25th she came to steam.In the Netherlands she was very dominant with six times gold on the NK.In 1967 and 1968 she became world champion.She ended her career in style by winning gold at the 3000 meters on 1972 Winter Games.In total, they won four Olympic medals.

4. Marianne Timmer

Photo: McSmit / Wikicommons

Marianne Timmer was a skatecaster specialized in the short distance.She won ten times the NK sprint with which she is the record holder.The World Cup sprint won Timmer in 2004. The highlight of her skating career was undoubtedly taking place at the Nagano Olympics (1998).She won gold at 1000 meters and surprised everyone by defeating the 1500 meters Gunda Niemann.By winning another gold win at the 1000 meters at the Winter Games 2006, she became the first Dutch skater to play this on various games.

3. Yvonne of Gennip

Photo: UweFan / Wikicommons

Yvonne van Gennip was initially successful at short distance and won in 1984 and 1985 and NK sprint.Later she developed into an all-round skater-star who made her two Dutch championships.However, she made herself immortal at the Winter Games of Calgary (1988) where she broke the hegemony of the East German skaters by winning three gold medals.She drove all matches in Calgary with a wrist injury.That same year, she was obviously elected Sportwoman of the year.

2. Ace Cologne-Deelstra

picture: Verhoeff, Bert / Anefo

As with the men, it is difficult to compare skaters from different periods.Atlet Cologne-Deelstra is often seen as the best Dutch skater star, even though she does not get it at Ireen Wüst.However, in her best years 1972 – 1974 she was unbeatable.This resulted in three seasons in which they always won the NK, EK and WK all round.Cologne-Deelstra only participated in the Olympic Games once.In 1972 she once won silver and two bronze medals.

1. Ireen Wüst

photo: Sasha Krotov / Wikicommons

The career of Ireen Wüst came in a hurricane when she won the gold medal 3000m at the Turin Olympic Games in 2006 at the age of nineteen.It would be the beginning of a unique victory series: four won all-round ECs and five world titles (four in a row).At three Winter Games she won eight medals (four gold), making her the most successful Olympic athlete in the Netherlands.She is the only skater to be named Sportwoman twice (2006 and 2014).